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Israel warned Thursday of a greater threat to its citizens abroad following Iran’s call to avenge the murder of its top nuclear scientist last week.
The death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed in a bomb and firearm attack on a main highway outside Tehran on Friday, has been attributed in part to Israel’s Mossad spy agency by the Islamic republic.
“In light of the recent threats from Iranian elements … we fear that Iran may attack Israeli targets,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
It warned of possible attacks against its citizens in Africa and in countries geographically close to Iran, citing Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, the Kurdish region of Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The National Security Council, citing attacks already carried out in France, Germany and Austria, said that global jihadist organizations, especially the Islamic State group, “are showing great motivation to carry out terrorist attacks.”
“It is possible that part of the current wave of terrorism will reach targets identified with Israel or Jewish communities, synagogues, kosher restaurants and Jewish museums,” he warned, urging travelers to check for warnings about their destination.
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates normalized ties with Israel in September, and commercial air links were established between Dubai and Tel Aviv late last month.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi was due to visit Bahrain over the weekend for a regional conference, but diplomatic sources told AFP that his trip was canceled after Iran blamed Israel for Fakhrizadeh’s assassination and threatened to retaliate.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused Iran of taking advantage of its international nuclear agreement, which allowed the lifting of economic sanctions, before they were reinstated and reinforced by US President Donald Trump to “extend” its influence in Iraq, Yemen. and Syria.
The nuclear deal let the “tiger” out of its cage, Netanyahu said during an online discussion with the Hudson Center for Analysis in Washington.
US President-elect Joe Biden has signaled his intention to resume dialogue with Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday called on Biden to once again lift sanctions against his country, while excluding any renegotiation of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday accused Israel of acting as a mercenary for Washington, blaming the Jewish state for the murder of the nuclear scientist.
Rouhani also said, however, that his country will seek revenge in “due time” and will not hastily fall into a “trap”, with less than two months before the tough administration of US President Trump leaves office.
On Monday, Iran’s top security official, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, alleged that “the Zionist regime and Mossad” were involved in the murder of the scientist, referring to the Israeli government and its spy agency.
Shamkhani also alleged that the exiled opposition group, the People’s Mujahideen of Iran, was involved in a complex operation that used electronic equipment “with no one present at the scene.”
Israeli officials have declined to comment on the attack.
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